


Lost in the woods

by invisible_nerd_girl



Series: Random Sterek shorts [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale pack, Fox Stiles, Kidnapping, M/M, druggings, full shift wolves, they're all teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:35:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27943121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_nerd_girl/pseuds/invisible_nerd_girl
Summary: Derek and Cora find that Stiles was kidnapped by Peter. Derek has to react before it's too late.
Relationships: pre Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Random Sterek shorts [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564270
Comments: 24
Kudos: 147





	Lost in the woods

“Derek, what do we do?” Cora was panicking next to him and he shushed her, thinking fast. The strange men were making their way back out the door. Their uncle held the fox by the collar, jerking it so they were face to face. 

“You better not cause any trouble, little one.” Peter practically purred at the fox; their noses almost touching. A second later he threw the young man down and he didn’t get back up, a slurring groan coming from him while Peter scoffed, walking out of the room. Cora was shoving his shoulder with one hand while using the other to cover her mouth to silence her sobs. Derek shushed her again, frantically searching the room for a way to get past them. The only thing was the window, but he wasn’t sure he could fit. 

“Get mom.” He hissed low, nodding to the room. “I’m going to get him out.” He turned back and carefully let his claws out, digging them into the sides of the window to start wiggling it open. Cora bounded away silently, but her scent remained, filled with terror and disgust. It took several breathless, tense minutes to pull the window off, and he twisted, leaning it against the wall next to him silently. Derek let out a soft breath, but he was assaulted by the foxes scent. The fox was badly drugged and terror wasn’t making it much better. 

Derek eased his legs in first, holding on so he didn’t make noise. For a single terrifying heartbeat, he thought he was going to be stuck at the shoulders but then he was sliding down. He caught himself on the ledge, holding himself there for a heartbeat to listen to any sound from the other rooms before dropping down completely. 

The fox was trying to move. He was shaking but his arms were slowly moving as he tried to lift himself up. When he managed it, he whined low, swaying violently back and forth as his head swung wildly around. Derek was grateful he got Cora to leave so she wouldn’t have to see her classmate struggling. He jump forward and caught his head as the fox collapsed to the ground. The Fox let out a sad, pained noise but Derek pressed his finger to his lips, frantically trying to sooth him back into silence. Bright, brown eyes were staring at him and he couldn’t tear his own away from the wide pools. They were full of confusion, as if he wasn’t really sure what was happening to him. 

“You’ll be alright, I’m here to help you.” He spoke low, helping him sit up the right way. The teen stared at him, his eyes struggling to stay on Derek’s face but there was a growing desperation in them. Derek frantically glanced at the door and the window, unsure if he could get him out silently. He didn’t really have a choice. He had to get out before they came back. 

“Come on.” He gently scooped the teen up and carried him closer to the window, but then he hit a snag. There was just enough room for him to lift the teen up but he couldn’t shove him out without making noise. The teen was blinking drunkenly down at him while pawing uselessly against the window but he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to pull himself up and out. Derek dropped him to his chest and stared around, struggling with himself and the growing realization that he wasn’t dreaming. His uncle was insane and completely ready to sell this young fox with absolutely no remorse. It made him think of the other missing young supernatural creatures in town since he arrived. But he was meant to be helping their mother find who was doing it, not doing it. That’s why he was allowed to stay so long. 

“Listen, I’m trying to help. I really am.” Derek ignore the tears that started to roll down his face or the fact that his voice was shaking but the teen was still staring at him before looking slowly back to the window. Derek twisted, hearing the sound of footsteps and he dragged the fox closer, shoving him behind him so he was between him and the door. Baring his teeth, he got ready to fight but then they passed by. Derek shivered trying to hide his hiccups and reached out for his Alpha, wanting nothing more than for her to come and save them. A second later there was a limp hand smacking his shoulder. The teen was staring silently at him before glancing back up at the window. Derek nodded when they locked eyes again, not sure what he was agreeing to. The teen gave him a small, timid smile before shifting to a small fox. 

He was bright red, with darker paws that were long and narrow from his youth. He was gangly but there was a beauty there that he had to grow into. There were faint marks on his fur, just a few smatterings of color that were dark against the red. Derek stared openly, with his jaw hanging as he stared at the creature. The fox chittered at him and there was a noise behind him. Derek didn’t look as he shifted as well, turning to a black wolf. He lunged forward, snatching the still shivering fox in his jaws from midair. Then the jump was nothing. 

Once again his shoulders caught but he forced his body through, wiggling as he scrambled. There was shouting from behind him and a sharp pain in his rear but he pulled himself out. It was shameful to him that he panicked completely after that. He could sense his Alpha was near, but Peter was closer. His uncles enraged roar wasn’t an alphas but it still chilled him to his core as he gave chase. He could feel his fury. The bond they had told him that the beta wouldn’t hesitate to rip him apart. 

“Derek!” A voice boomed out but he was too far gone. The fox was heavy in his jaws yet he didn’t complain at all. The trees flashed by but he couldn’t pinpoint where he was or what he was doing. He was too frightened. It took him to slow to a walk to realize that one of his hind legs was dragging uselessly behind him. 

The fox finally made a noise, shifting around until Derek dropped him on his paws. The little creature staggered around, sniffing the air before turning slowly in circles. Derek stared at him without any interest only to wonder if he had to pee. 

The fox turned to look at him and he realized that he was meant to follow. After a few seconds, he shrugged and hobbled forward on three legs. It was a little rough going and he was becoming breathless rather quickly but all he could focus on was the little fox. The creature was moving in front of him, chittering back at him as he staggered forward. Derek didn’t know what he was doing but he wanted to go home. He wanted his mother and pack and he wanted Peter to be in cuffs or torn apart by the families. The Hale pack was going to be in such an amount of trouble that it didn’t bear thinking about right now. He cleared his mind, which was easy to do, and follow the flashes of red.

The fox slipped into a back yard and he finally paused his obedient trailing. It circled back to him, rearing back slightly to bump their noses together. For that single moment, where the sad, drugged, and traumatized fox was trying to make sure that he wasn’t hurt and his wolf decided that he would go where he led. He trailed after him, trusting him. The fox stayed closer this time, his tail tip flicking Dereks nose as he lowered his head from his near defeat before he wound around his paw. His shoulder felt tiny under his paw but then he realized that the fox was attempting to use what weight it had to move his paw forward to where he wanted it. Derek hummed happily, walking up the steps until he was stopped. 

When he finally looked around, he could see the fox sitting near the corner. It looked as if he was waiting for something. It was a nice spot and he stepped forward, circling around him before he settled down. The old wood was warm, soft and he hummed low. His hind leg was still flopped a little but the little fox made himself at home against his side. He forced himself to curl a little tighter around him to protect him.   
=====================================================================================  
“Oh, little ones.” A voice spoke above him and he lifted his head. He managed to keep it up long enough to see the sheriff standing above him before it became to hard and he let it drop. The fox squeaked, trying to soften the landing by jumping under his head and ended up squished. Derek rolled his head to the side, gently nuzzling him to show he didn’t mean it, making the fox chitter happily at him. 

The sheriff kept talking, even sitting next to him while he made a phone call. The little fox darted around his head, still making noise as he pawed at his muzzle. After several minutes of this, he shot behind him and he yelped, feeling a sharp pain before everything went numb again. Derek watched as he reappeared with a feathered dart in his mouth and dropped it at the sheriffs feet. 

“Oh, no wonder he’s not responding. Maybe…. Talia, I think he needs some help but… I don’t think I can lift him by myself into the cruiser without hurting either of us.” The sheriff looked exhausted as he hung up the phone but then the fox was flopped on his face. He didn’t move, his red fur covering his nose until Derek snorted, shaking his head to get him off. The fox jumped around in front of him before ducking forward, nipping at his ears and once his lips. Annoyance washed over him and it was enough to get him to lift his head. 

“Stiles, stop that.” The sheriff started, reaching down to nudge the fox away but the creature ducked around and promptly headbutted Derek right in the eye. He yelped loudly, jerking away from the pain. 

When he finally blinked the tears away, he realized he was standing in a wide stance with his entire body shaking. The fox was trying to apologize, rubbing it’s chin against his chest but he grumbled to show him he wasn’t forgiven. He whined low, tiny paws shoving at his shoulder until he took a step forward. He knew he was trying to get him to the car but it seemed so far away and his hind leg still wasn’t working very well. He could stand on it, but it was like a peg leg but he couldn’t move it. 

“Stiles, just… Ugh.” The sheriff shot down the steps, heading to the cruiser. Derek watched dully as he drove it across the grass and right to the bottom of the steps. He stared at the open door waiting for him and felt a wave of guilt. They were trying so hard to help him, and he didn’t want to let them down just because he was feeling a little down. He peered at both of them, seeing the Sheriffs fear and the foxes bright eyes and started to move. It was painful, his paws aching from the run but he hopped forward. His one working hind leg held most of his weight, but he found he could lean on his bad one if it was just right. The steps were difficult but the fox stayed next to him, nuzzling his cheek when he paused to catch his breath. Little whines slipped out but then he had a front paw on the seat. The fox jumped in before him, making soft sounds like he was talking to pups. Derek hauled his front in before pausing, taking several breaths. 

The next part was going to hurt. He wasn’t going to fool himself. It was going to hurt a lot but his other hind leg was slowly going numb and he needed to get help. He didn’t want the fox to feel guilty if Derek was seriously hurt. He didn’t bother to be baffled by the fact that he wasn’t healing. It was his uncle or one of the goons who shot him so they knew how to deal with supernatural creatures. He hoped Cora was alright and not panicking. 

“Do you need help?” The sheriff placed a hand on his back, pulling him from his thoughts and he shook his head. Deciding to just get it over with, like tearing off a band-aid, he crouched slightly forcing his tired body to put what left he had to give into jumping in. The fox jumped out of the way as he all but flopped in with a long groan of pain. He blacked out for a second, but then they were moving. The fox somehow moved to stretch out across his shoulder and he twisted his head to lap at his chin, thankful for his help in moving him. He still wasn’t going to forgive the blow to the eye. 

“How’s he doing?” he sheriff asked but the fox yipped softly, licking his muzzle as if to get him to answer for himself. Derek looked at him before giving a low bark to show that he was awake. 

“Alright, Derek. I called your mother and she’s going to meet us at Deatons. My Deputies are dealing with the kidnappers and searching for Peter. She made it sound like that wasn’t going to pan out for us, however.” Derek relaxed slightly before thinking about Cora. He didn’t know how Cora was but it wasn’t like he could ask. 

“We’re here.” The door opened and he blinked, not quite understanding how they moved so fast but the fox was now sprawled completely across his back like Derek was the comfiest bed he’d ever known. Derek didn’t want to move him but then hands were lifting him away. He turned to watch but the Sheriff stepped to the side with his son cradled to his chest and a second later Laura and his mother were crowding the space by the door. 

“Derek, honey, are you alright?” His mother practically crawled into the back with him as he whined, trying to shove himself up so he could turn around to face her. Both of his hind legs were out of commission, but he managed to sit, twisting awkwardly to lick at her face and complain. Her arms circled around his chest before she backed out, dragging him after her. The effortless way she lifted him was impressive but painful. Laura grabbed his lower half and they both started carrying him to the clinic. Derek rested his head on his mothers shoulder despite the fact that it didn’t quite fit but he didn’t care. He was safe with his pack. 

“Good, you have him. Both of them.” Deaton appeared as he was set on a dog bed on the floor. He was a little too big to fully sit on the table without his mother fearing that me might fall off. You couldn’t exactly fall from the ground. He shoved himself up so he was sitting but with head bowed low. 

“This is what he was shot with, though he might have had some that fell off when they were running. Laura said the building Peter was using was deep into the preserve so they had a long way to travel to get to my house.” The sheriff handed over the dart and the fox slid between his paws, wrapping his tail around him as he sat down between them. 

“Mmm. This type of dart is designed to stay in once it hits it’s target.” Deaton moved away, fiddling with the dart before humming more. “I’m going to need Derek to take a few steps so I can see how far this has progressed. Then I can make a more accurate antidote.” He glanced over his shoulder as he started to pull vials down from his supernatural cabinet. Derek huffed, not wanting to move. Before the adults could react, the fox shoved against his chin, trying to move him himself. Derek tilted his head up enough so he couldn’t reach, making him stumble forward before ducking his head. He hooked his nose quickly under the fox and flipped him away. 

“Derek.” His mother scolded while Laura openly laughed, not even bothering to try and hide it. 

“It’s fine. He already got headbutted by Stiles. He deserves a little smack every now and again.” The sheriff chuckled but the Fox protested first at the man before barking rapidly at Derek. They glared at each other in silence for several seconds before Derek rolled his eyes with a loud groan. He tried to get his back legs up but they didn’t want to work. He pulled them along hopelessly for a foot before his mother stopped him, helping him back into the bed. This time he laid down, needing a moment to rest. A heartbeat passed before the fox joined him, curling up between his paws and Derek used him as a pillow. 

“This should help but he’ll need some… time. Depending on the damage done, he might have a long road ahead.” Deaton gestured with a large needle and the Fox screeched in his ear before hiding in his neck. He licked along his back, wrapping his paws around him to sooth him but then he was being shoved so he was crouched with his back arched slightly. His mother dropped to her knees in front of him and started to scratch both his ears. Derek wasn’t fooled. She was going to stop him from reacting when he was stabbed, holding him still so he wouldn’t hurt the vet. 

The pain was sharp, and he could feel his cartilage cracking as the needle moved into his back. He would’ve pulled away and snapped but his mother held him in place. All he could do was cry out before hugging the fox closer to his chest. Everything went surprisingly tingly after that and he was allowed to flop over again. He tried to listen in on what the adults were saying but with the scent of the fox in his nose and the knowledge that he was safe tucked against him, he fell into the darkness.   
===============================================================================  
Derek woke to find the sheriff and the fox gone. He jerked up, not even realizing what he was doing as he followed the scent trail the fox left as he left leading away from the bed. He was half way to the door before he was stopped, his nose still to the ground. His mother was standing in front of him with a cup of coffee in her hand and a shocked look on her face. He blinked up at her before looking back at the bed and sniffing around her leg. He knew he wasn’t allowed past so he sat down, tilting his head to the side in an attempt to look cute enough to get the information he wanted. 

“The sheriff took Stiles to the hospital. He can shift back so he’s going to talk to the FBI agents that came. Laura is with Cora to do the same. We have a friend at the hospital who’s making a bed for you because you have to talk to them too. Are you ready?” She spoke quickly but he nodded along, getting back to his paws with only a few twinges of pain where the needles went in. He hobbled outside like he was still drugged and hopped into their car. 

The drive to the hospital was short one where he moped. He didn’t even try to deny it but he wanted to know where the fox went. He missed the wiggly little creature already and wanted to keep him safe. It was just luck that they followed Peter yesterday. If they hadn’t, they would’ve kept living in bliss while the fox was announced missing. 

“Here we are darling.” They pulled up and he stayed still, waiting until Melissa appeared with a hospital gown. She tossed it into the car and waited for him to shift. He did just that and pulled it on, struggling to tie it as he stepped out. The nurse gave him a look that made him stop. He had to lean against the car to hold himself up as she tied it for him. His legs wobbled under him as she helped him walk into the hospital but his mother took his arm on the other side. They walked him into a room and he stretched out happily on the bed. It wasn’t as comfortable as the one at his house but they had to get this handled. 

He was only settled in for a few minutes, before there was a knock at the door. He groaned, forcing his eyes open as his mother went to answer the door. 

“Hello Sheriff, and company. I’m sure you’re here to question my son.” His mother was calm but there was a strain in her voice and he wondered how it was all going to turn out. Three men walked in and he stared blankly at them. 

“Yes, this is Agent McClain and Agent Hughes. They are here about what your son saw. They already talked to Stiles so I offered to bring them here.” The sheriff explained and his mother nodded along. 

“Are they kicking you off the case? I’d feel better if it was you. Peter can’t fool you. He’s used to talking around strangers.” She spoke like a worried mother but there was a thinly veiled insult there and he frowned to hide his smile at her antics. 

“Yes, I’ll be back to check later. I want to thank your family but…” The sheriff shot a look at the FBI men before shaking his head. He slipped out, shutting the door quietly behind him. His mother walked back to the bed, sitting in the only seat before glaring down the men. The were wise enough not to ask her to leave so they can talk alone. 

“Well, as Sheriff Stilinski said, I am Agent Hughes, and this is my partner Agent McClain.” The taller man stepped forward and held out his hand. Dereks hand shook as he raised his own to shake it. He nodded calmly to them, not hearing their heartbeats skip. 

“Derek.” He didn’t doubt that they already knew his name but his mother did teach him manners so he wasn’t about to be rude. 

“We wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened last night. Is that alright?” Agent McClain seemed kind, his blue eyes looking at the hand Derek raised to shake theirs. It was trembling slightly and he felt a little annoyed that he was appearing as weak. It was something horrific to go through, but waiting wasn’t going to change a thing. 

“I’m fine. What do you want to know?” His voice was raspy and he leaned his head back, staring straight ahead. He didn’t want to think. 

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” Hughes pulled out a notebook while his partner pulled out a recorder, asking if it was alright. They both shook their heads and he sighed, thinking back. 

“Cora wanted Peter for some reason or another. I wasn’t listening to that part because she was whining like a, well like a teenage sister trying to get her way, so we went into the preserve to look for him. We learned tracking to help with search parties so it wasn’t hard. But we went to a part we weren’t allowed to go because it’s a favorite spot for illegal hunters who put up traps. Mom didn’t want us to get hurt. We came to this shack and it… it felt wrong. We were scared but I could hear crying so I looked into a window to the basement and there was the teenager. Uncle Peter was there.” He stopped, his throat trying to close up and he felt tears start welling up. But he took a deep breath, holding his mothers hand tight. 

“Go on” One of the agents spoke but he wasn’t sure which it was. 

“He was talking to two men. They were talking about how much the kid was worth. Cora and I hid, but she was panicking because she knew him from school and I didn’t know what to do.” He shook his head and used his free hand to wipe his face. “The men left, deciding on a price and Peter threatened him to behave. We could see that there was something wrong with him, like he was drugged. After he left, I told Cora to run and get help. I stayed to see if I could do anything and managed to get into the basement. The teenager could barely sit up but I shoved him out the window. When I was getting out, they heard me and I got shot with something. I panicked and started running with the teenager on my back. I still carry Cora around like that so I was used to the weight so I just kept running.” He shook his head and turned to look at them. “I don’t remember much after that, other than the teen waking up enough and started tell me where to go. I was so out of it that I just listened mindlessly and we ended up at the house. We passed out and the sheriff woke us up and brought us here. I’ve been high as fuck on painkillers since.” He jerked his head back before shaking it, forcing himself to stay awake. 

“He was shot with a dart with the same drugs that effected Stiles. But it hit near the spine and there might be some damage.” His mother explained and he let his eyes closed. 

“My legs are numb again.” He muttered and his mother petted his arm. 

“You’ll be fine baby.” She soothed and he shivered. 

“I should’ve gone home. But I thought Peter would expect that and cut us off. I messed up so bad. I should’ve risked it. But I got Cora out.” He panted, the stress of it all hitting him. His uncle was a monster. He didn’t even know what happened to him. He hated it. He didn’t want to believe it happened. He hated Peter. 

“You did all you could. You both are lucky. Very lucky.” Agent McClain muttered and he forced his breathing under control. It took a few minutes where Hughes scribbled on the notebook. 

“Can you describe the other two men?” He asked after a second and he frowned. 

“We saw their legs mostly. They stayed by the little door so we had limited view from the window. One had fancy shoes, like they were shined and everything. The other had stains on his.” He swallowed staring at the ceiling as he thought back on everything. “Peter may have called one Mark, but I… I’m not sure. Cora was crying next to me.” 

“Alright, thank you. Rest now. We’re going to deal with this.” Hughes got to his feet and Derek turned back to look at him. 

“How’s the kid?” He asked, knowing that he wasn’t meant to hear them perfectly when they were by the door. 

“Stiles is still in the hospital. The sheriff has posted a deputy to guard his door since we are still looking for Peter Hale.” McClain responded with ease and he let out a sigh of relief. 

“Good, I’m glad.” He closed his eyes, cringing as his legs twitched. It was still healing and it hurt. The agents said goodbye to him and asked his mother if they could talk to her privately. She checked him over before heading into the hall with them. It felt like barely a second later when the door slammed open and Cora raced in. Derek scrambled to the side, frantically kicking his legs as she jumped, landing half on him and half on the bed. 

“Cora!” He cried out, holding her despite his anger. She was incoherently sobbing. He understood. She was the closest to Peter out of all the kids. She was the one who guessed something was off about him after he got back. He lied when he told the agents that he didn’t know the reason. Cora told him that Peter was acting strange so he told her they’d follow him before going to their mother. 

“It’s alright. We’re alright. Stiles is alive and safe. We’re alright.” He wrapped her up and started rocking her, His back ached where the needle went in but he kept it up. It took a while for her to calm but he didn’t expect anything from her. In all reality, he had no idea what was meant to happen next. He didn’t know what he was meant to be feeling but he wanted to focus on the good. 

“How could he do that? How could Peter do that? Stiles is my age Derek! We’re in the same classes. How could he do this to anyone?” She sat up, tears rolling freely down her face as she started to rock herself. Her arms were around her middle and he carefully reached for her. 

“I don’t know. I… Cora, we’re never going to know. Peter, he hid this part of him well. But we’ll never understand because we’re not bad people.” He didn’t know what to do. Laura walked in and quickly made her way over, crawling into the bed as well. There was barely any room for Cora and him but they still made it work. They needed pack right now. The comfort of being together when they were betrayed by one of their own. 

“What happened to Peter?” He asked softly and Laura shook her head. 

“The Roan pack killed him trying to figure out where their lost son went.” She whispered low and he nodded. “The FBI got the others for the most part. They’re searching for the missing people, but the packs are on it too.” 

“If the packs find them first, no one else will.” Cora whispered but Derek shook his head. 

“I’m not sure which I want to happen more.” He whispered, slightly ashamed of it. Justice and revenge were different, but those familys deserved the right to find where their family members went. They couldn’t trust the FBI with their secret. He didn’t want to think about it. But he knew that Peter used that fact to get away with it for so long. 

“Let’s not think about that. It’s not something we should bother with right now. We should just be happy that our pack did have a hand in stopping it. Our job is to care for the town, even from our own sometimes.” Laura managed to get both of them in a hug and he sniffed, holding back his cries. Cora was sobbing uncontrollably and he never was good about staying calm when his sisters teared up. There was a knock at the door and then somebody clearing their voice. Laura took a moment to pull back and he breathed a sigh. A second later he caught the foxes scent and shoved her back, peering around her shoulder. 

“Hi.” The teenager was standing there, looking nervous with a blush on his face. He was in a hospital gown and was fiddling with his fingers like he wasn’t sure what to do with them. 

“Stiles.” Cora cried out, scrambling away from the bed before grabbed onto him. Stiles, for his part, didn’t panic at being lifted into the air by a werewolf and instead dropped his hands to her arms where they were holding him up and glanced up at Derek and Laura. Derek took him in, not knowing him from before so he didn’t know what to say. 

“Stiles, how are you feeling?” Laura suddenly sounded like their mother but he could tell that she was caught off guard and didn’t know what she was meant do. 

“I’ll live. Deaton said I should stay calm cause I could get some headaches. And to stay uh, out of the forest.” He answered before nodded to Cora who giggled low. 

“I’m a little off forest trips myself” She set him back on his feet but didn’t let him go. Laura slipped off the bed as well and Derek shifted so he was back in the middle. His legs were still twitching, and he sighed, closing his eyes. 

“Is he alright?” Stiles sounded nervous and he forced his eyes back open. 

“Pain killers.” He smiled weakly but he could tell it fell flat. 

“He should get some more sleep.” Laura suddenly sounded less caught off guard and he could almost picture her shooing the others out of the room. He wanted to protest it but before he could get much further than grunting loudly at her he was fast asleep. 

The next time he woke, it was dark out again but he felt better. His mother was fast asleep in the chair next to his bed with the others sprawled out around the room. Even though his body still ached, he found that he didn’t feel that bad and was desperate for something to eat. There wasn’t anything nearby and he shifted until he was sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bowed. It wasn’t painful but he didn’t want to wake his family. He saw his bag sitting next to his bed and dug around, pulling out his wallet and slipped into the hall. 

The hospital was quieter then when it was day but there were still a few nurses checking up on people, however, the cafeteria was closed. All that was left was the vending machines down the halls. There was even a small table by them and he made his way down, nodding to a few nurses. His back twinged, but it was more like the muscles were still stiff than painful and he lifted his hand to the vending machine to lean his weight against it while he looked at the options. After a few seconds he straightened up and rolls his shoulders only to tense at the sound of a soft gasp. He turned his head to see the teenager standing there with a limp dollar in his hand.

“Stiles.” He stopped short, unsure what he was meant to say to him when they had such a horrid first meeting. The fox was suddenly blushing and stuttering so he shoved off the vending machine to walk up to him. “Were you hungry too? I was just about to get something.” He nodded to dollar still in his hand and ignored the way his wolf was immediately focused on feeding the fox. He didn’t miss the way he shot him a shy smile. 

“Yeah.” Stiles followed him to the vending machines and he looked over the prices before rolling his eyes. He slid a five in and punched so the candy fell down. He bent down and fished it out before gesturing to the machine. 

“What do you want?” He leaned against the wall when his back threatened to tighten again but Stiles hummed low, before glancing up at him. 

“Are you sure? It’s your change.” He asked carefully but he just nodded before an idea came to him. 

“As long as you eat it with me. Everyone else is sleeping.” He gestured to the table and felt a wave of pride when the fox practically giggled, ducking his head as he shuffled around. Instead of responding, he punched in the numbers and grabbed his own processed dinner. Derek grinned when he straightened and they settled at the table, opening their snack in silence. 

“So, I was thinking we didn’t get off to the right start.” Stiles shuffled around and he let out a snort, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, being drugged while the other is sober and running for our lives because my Uncle went nuts. Not the best.” He waved his bar around before narrowing his eyes at the fox. “And someone headbutted me in the eye.”

“That was you’re eye? I’m so sorry.” Stiles gasped and he laughed low, shaking his head at him. It was cute. 

“I’m fine. It was surprising is all. Your motivating when you want to be.” He waved it off before taking another bite. It was a little stale but it would do. It wasn’t like humans would’ve picked up on the stale flavor. He could tell the fox was having a bit of the same problem. 

“Still, I wanted to thank you for doing that. You… you saved my life even thought it was against your own family. I’m all my father has so you saved his life too, and he takes care of this town so you’re really living up to the Hale legacy already.” Stiles looked at him though his eyelashes and he couldn’t help the nervous chuckle as his stomach did flips. He felt his face heat up and licked his lips. 

“You helped a lot. I would’ve kept running if you hadn’t stopped me and lead me home.” He put on his best flirting smile and saw that he had the effect that he wanted. Stiles gaped and he arched his eyebrow at him, nodding to his hand that was about to drop the last bite of his bar. 

“Thanks.” The fox squeaked, popping it in his mouth. Derek nibbled at his own, feeling delighted when there was a grunt from behind him and guilt washed over his face. He knew what was behind him before he even turned. 

“Son, leave a note next time.” The sheriff was ruffled would be the kindest way to put it. He cringed and shot a busted look at him. 

“Sorry Sir.” Derek ducked his head down. “I didn’t mean to keep him so long. I should’ve let him rest.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure he was busy thanking you.” The man gave his son a stern look and the fox jumped out of his seat with an indignant snort. 

“Of course I did. We were just talking about how we got out.” Stiles protested and he stood as well, tossing his trash in the can by the machines. 

“Yeah well. Thanks for sitting with me. I better get back before my family misses me and causes a riot through the hospital. They aren’t exactly subtle.” He turned to smile at the little family and the sheriff nodded to him. He clapped his hand on his shoulder and gave him a proud sort of look. 

“Thank you again son, for saving my boy. I know it must have been hard for you.” The sheriff was sincere, but he scrunched his face up at the thought. 

“I really wasn’t. I couldn’t just stand by, even if it was against my uncle.” He dipped his head down when the man suddenly became more interested in him. He felt out of place standing there barefoot with just his hospital gown on. It was unbearable to think that he had a sort of date with the fox while they were both dressed in the simple clothe. 

“Thank you anyway.” The man nodded, turning away. 

“Of course.” Derek kept his head down until he saw a flash of the fox ducking forward. A small, tentative kiss was placed on his cheek and he swallowed, glancing up to see the young man skittering backwards with a mischievous smile on his face as he gazed back at him. Derek beamed even as he melted. With a wink, the fox spun on his heel and faced forward again. They turned the corner and then they were gone. A second later there was a loud snort from his room and he turned, walking back before anyone panicked about him being gone. His mind was lost to the fox, and he hoped that they would meet again soon. What he saw of the fox so far, he didn’t doubt it.

**Author's Note:**

> A short I've been working on and decided to post before finals.


End file.
